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It has been a big couple of weeks for Manitoba recognition! We have been celebrating the two 2026 Manitoba JUNO winners, Begonia and the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra (see more below). We also want to congratulate the Manitoba music industry members nominated for the 2026 Canadian Live Music Awards, and to the nominees at the Yorkton Film Festival.
We had some excitement ourselves here at MFM – we have been shortlisted for a Global Production Award, alongside counterparts from around the world for Film Commission of the Year – State, Province & National. The awards will be given out at Festival de Cannes on May 18.
Speaking of Cannes, our CEO & Film Commissioner, Lynne Skromeda will be in attendance next month, and then at the Yorkton Film Festival later in May for a panel and roundtables. Did you know that the Yorkton Film Festival was established in 1947 and is one of the longest-running festivals in the world? Being at these key events allows MFM to strengthen strategic relationships that attract economic opportunities for Manitoba.
What else? Get your applications in for MFM’s Music Produce program before May 21; made-in-Manitoba Normal is getting great reviews; and check out Slow Leaves’ new music video.
~ From the team at MFM
MFM is proud to support FascinAsian Film Festival this weekend!
FascinAsian Film Festival began as a one-night event, and in just a few years has grown to a full weekend festival in multiple cities - Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton to be exact. This year’s dynamic schedule includes Portraits by Quan Luong, and All the Words by Angeline Javier – both of which were supported through MFM’s Grant Program for Emerging Talent. Alan Wong, festival president, tells us why he’s excited about this weekend’s event.
How did FascinAsian Film Festival come about?
FascinAsian started as a single evening event for Asian Heritage Month, showcasing films by local Asian filmmakers, or films that had an Asian-centric story with some connection to Winnipeg. We did this for three years, and had a lot of fun with it, so wanted to expand it into a film festival. We wanted to start in 2020, but the pandemic kiboshed that idea, but at the end of 2020, we were able to get funding to start the organization through the CMF Sector Development Program. This gave us the means to create a strategic plan, and put on our first festival, albeit virtually. Each year since, the festival had grown to a full three-day weekend of events, with film screenings of features and shorts, panel discussions, Q & As, workshops, and social events, all to celebrate Asian stories in film and media.
What are you most excited about with this year’s film festival lineup?
I'm especially excited about the programming. We have strong films every year, but I feel like we have some exceptional films this year. Each one is so different and unique and powerful, that I encourage people to see as many of them as possible. I'm also excited for our first ever Live Pitch event, called REAL TALK! Participants will pitch short documentary ideas to a panel of industry veterans and receive feedback from them. The excitement of pitching to an audience is such a valuable experience to any filmmaker/creator because the story has to be compelling, even from the ideation stage. There's a lot more to be excited about, so people should check out everything that is going on by following us on social media! Instagram and Facebook primarily.
Why should people come to the festival?
People who come to the festival have remarked about how great the films are. We have Q & As at the end of each screening to provide further context to the films. Often, they spark conversation and discussion in the lobby. People really get into it. Many tell us how grateful they are to have something like this in the city, which is a gap that we recognized was missing in the community. I think if you take in all the films, you gain a comprehensive understanding of the Asian perspective, which is pretty amazing how the power of film can do that! We also have a great venue at the Winnipeg Art Gallery - Qaumajuq! All the events feel sophisticated and cultural because of this beautiful space we get to celebrate in. The final reason that I'll share is that it's an incredible value! For the cost of your ticket or pass, you get a unique movie-going experience for less than most regular movies nowadays. We have our funders and sponsors to thank for helping to subsidize the cost of the festival!
What might people not expect about FascinAsian?
I think people who haven't been before are always pleasantly surprised by the vibe of the festival. It's a very warm atmosphere, rooted in community and grassroots volunteerism, yet very professional and high quality. It's also surprisingly easy to relate and be taken in by the films, even if you are not of that ethnicity. I've learned so much about Asian cultures other than my own, and that has been very rewarding. Subtitles aren't that big of a deal - you get used to it. And the power of film to highlight our commonalities as humans is a beautiful thing, which we need to be reminded of constantly! I am proud of the fact that our festival accomplishes this - beyond anything else, it brings people together.
FascinAsian Film Festival
May 1-3
WAG-Qaumajuq, Winnipeg
MFM is proud to support FascinAsian Film Festival.
See the lineup and get your tickets here.
More to explore:
The teaser trailer for Made-in-Manitoba Little House on the Prairie has arrived! The series premieres July 9.
Lifetime movie I Have to Kill My Neighbor premiered earlier this month and is a wild ride.
Guillaume Lonergan to direct Wookey Films’ Denise sans Denis.
Everything We Need Is Here, directed by Katharina Stieffenhofer, premiered March 28 at the Beloit International Film Festival.
Productions Rivard’s Habitants du Nord season 2, is available on TV5 Unis.
Congratulations to our two Manitoban JUNO winners
At the JUNO Awards in Hamilton last month, Manitobans struck gold – twice! Begonia won her first JUNO Award for Adult Alternative Album of the Year for her (MFM-funded) album Fantasy Life, tying with Bahamas (pictured together above).
“Winning for this album was especially special to me,” says Alexa Dirks, aka Begonia. “Going out "on my own" was really scary for me and this album feels like the most crystallized version of myself I've ever put out there. To get such positive recognition when I'm leaning the most into myself I ever have...that's really gratifying to me.”
This is Dirks’ second JUNO win, having won with Chic Gamine in 2009. This was her first time on stage to collect the award though. “I was 21 at the time we won and we weren't even at the ceremony as we were fulfilling a contract in Montana so I think for a minute we were all like..."did that actually happen!?" I feel so grateful for where I come from and the adventures I had and lessons I learned in Chic Gamine. I think it really prepared me to lead with passion, humour and not to worry about winning or losing.”
When asked about the process of putting together this award-winning album, Dirks credits her community, “Deadmen (Matt Schellenberg and Matt Peters) have been with me since the beginning of this project and I love the vulnerability and heart we put into this album. They both moved to LA a few years ago so I went out there to work in their new home studio when we started developing this record.” She was also at least partially inspired by frigid local temperatures: “Then we brought the lion's share of the recording process to Winnipeg in the dead of winter. That juxtaposition (the California sun vs. the frigid Winnipeg winter) felt so perfect for the rounding of this record as I feel like it represents all the light and cold within me. Also being able to have my live band players on the record and recording it at No Fun Club so close to my house...it all felt so perfect honestly.”
The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra (WJO) became a first-time winner for Jazz Album of the Year (Group) for the album East Meets West: Connections.
Richard Gillis, member of the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra, explains how a JUNO win makes an impact: “It helps establish artistic legitimacy. It won’t change our vision and goals, but it will help in grant applications and hopefully with sponsorship.”
Gillis continues, “I also remember expecting more attention to the 2024 release (East Meets West: Tidal Currents), though we did receive a lot of reviews. The Connections album did receive good reviews but not as many (we didn’t put as much marketing money toward it), so I wasn’t expecting the awards it did receive (WCMA and JUNO). It reminded me not to underestimate the impact a project can have.”
MFM is proud to have funded WJO’s Forgotten Stories Suite album, which was released in February 2026.
Congratulations again to all the winners and nominees, and keep an eye out for news about JUNOS 2027 in Winnipeg!
More to explore:
New music alert: Daggerss’ song The Fear; Carsy’s Celine (Fine Sisi); Cassidy Mann’s Half Blood; DXXN’s 2S4Y
Check out the Jazz Winnipeg lineup, and get your tickets
Living Hour to play Wilco’s Solid Sound festival in Massachusetts – June 26-28
Nagamo Composer Intensive for Indigenous musicians: Deadline to apply May 20
MFM Programs
Music – Produce Program: Deadline May 21
Music – Produce (Out-of-Province Artists) Program: Deadline May 21
Music – Promote Program open to applications: Open now
Music – Perform Program open to applications: Open now
Music – Build Program: Deadline June 18
Film & TV Funding Programs: Opening April 1, 2026
Partner Opportunities
WFG’s Marketing Fund – Application deadline: May 1
Canadian Creative Accelerator Screen Composers Summer Program – Application deadline: May 3
Black Watch Entertainment’s Pitch Day Manitoba for unscripted content: May 6-8
Vince Fontaine Legacy Award Call for Nominations – Application deadline: May 13
Spotlight
We are providing up to two letters of interest to support Manitoba producers applying to the Canada Media Fund’s (CMF) Predevelopment Program to support eligible projects at the beginning of a project’s creative process.
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